These are enthusiast DVDs. By that I mean they are prepared by one enthusiast for other enthusiasts and (intentionally) lack some of the features of commercial DVDs. There is minimal additional sound and no added commentary. I go for exciting action footage but try to give good coverage of individual lines and locomotives. I prefer to cover 1-4 lines per DVD not whole countries or continents. There is minimal non-railway padding although I am a great fan of the railway in its environment (be it country or town) and try to cover this with distant shots, people shots and long takes. I always seek out real, working steam where it is still available. Only where there is no other option, will I join small groups to arrange steam charters or to video special trains. My DVDs normally run close the the maximum length I can get on a DVD (typically 80 minutes) and have a full menu and options to navigate to different scenes. There is always an insert sheet to give background information on the footage. I burn DVDs (DVD-R) on my computer to order. Any profit (after UK tax) goes towards further trips and more video or computer equipment in order to continue to bring new DVDs to you.
The current price for my DVDs is £18 which includes postage and packing anywhere in the world. This compares with magazine adverts for railway DVDs in UK railway magazines at prices generally from £18 to £29 with additional postage. I can offer a discount price for an order for more than one DVD and I am very happy to discuss a special price or a barter arrangement for anyone in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, China, etc. who cannot afford British prices. Any surplus I make is used for video/computer equipment or for travel to film more railway videos.
You can order by clicking on the PayPal button on the website. You can also contact me to discuss other payment methods. UK cheque is probably the only other realistic option. Should you be a repeat customer or wish to order more than one DVD, please contact me instead of clicking the PayPal button. I should be able to offer you a special price.
My latest computer is an Apple iBook G4 with an improved DVD drive that can burn DVD+R as well as DVD-R disks. Initial tests shows the DVDs produced (both -R and +R) are more compatible with the DVD player I use to test disks. However, most people will now be aware of the potential issues with burned DVDs (possible compatibility problems with different DVD players, questions about how long the disks will remain readable, the same old NTSC/PAL compatibility problems). I burn DVDs at the slow speed of x2 rather than x8 to avoid problems towards the end of DVDs. Not just my DVDs but others I have tried have been known to hang and skips towards the end of the footage. So far, a slower burn speed seems to be an effective solution to this problem.
I am not able to produce NTSC versions of these DVDs. However, a number of DVD players sold in the USA do offer PAL playback on NTSC TV and maybe you should invest in one of these are they are not expensive. Models include Malata DVD-806RF (according to the website http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/xq/asp/pid.84/qx/details.htm) and the Malata D-558 and D-520, the Jaton PSD-7611K, and the Apex Ad-1200 (according to writers at http://www.thehelparchive.com/new-2980643-92.html). The website http://www.musicbymailcanada.com/DVDPAL.html lists a range of suitable players available in both the USA and Canada and where to buy them.
I received this comment from an American customer, 'The DVD's arrived this afternoon. A pleasant surprise no problem viewing them. They play full screen on my TV using my Mini DVD player CH-DVD 300 by Cyberhome. Although some of the picture from a PAL discs played on a NTSC TV is supposed to be cut off, it is not apparent.'
Should a DVD fail to arrive, contact me. I always take my DVDs to the local post office and ask for proof of posting. If the DVD gets lost, I promise to provide a replacement but I may need your help to pursue any claim against the post office.
Should any DVD I provide fail to play satisfactorily on your DVD player, please first check if it will play OK on your computer or on another DVD player. Then, contact me to see how we can solve the problem.
I recently received the following message (and what is very rare feedback on a problem) from a Dutch enthusiast who managed to solve the problem himself. 'Unfortunately I could not play your DVD in my DVD-player [Unknown disk]. I had to make a copy on my PC, and burn a new DVD. Now the DVD works fine! Nothing to complain about, but maybe other people have this problem? If so, just make a copy, and everything will be fine.'
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